Former Wales hooker Ken Waters has revealed he’s suffering from motor neurone disease.
It’s the incurable illness which has struck down hugely popular ex-Lions and Scotland lock Doddie Weir and last year claimed the life of South Africa legend Joost van der Westhuizen.
Waters, who won his Wales cap when they were beaten 16-13 by Western Samoa’s hit-men in Cardiff during what was then the biggest upset in World Cup history, was diagnosed with MND in October last year.
“It was probably from 2015 that I realised something was wrong. I was training for a vets 10s tournament with Caerleon and just kept going over on an ankle,” said the 57-year-old in at times emotive interview with WalesOnline.
“I thought ‘what’s going on here’ because I hadn’t injured myself. I went to my doctor after the tour and explained what was happening.
“He sent me to a podiatrist but realised my calf was starting th shrink on my right leg and said: ‘Right, you need to go and see a neurologist’.